"Growing Your People Monthly" Newsletter

July 2009

Greetings!

Last month we began a look at the concept of "coaching" - click here in case you missed last month's newsletter or just want to refresh your memory. In Part I, you hopefully gained some clarity around this often over-used word and better understand it from a perspective of internal and external coaching. In Part II, we'll look at coaching from a manager's perspective with some common pitfalls and ways to improve the coaching experience for both the manager and employees. Read on!

Be Well,
Yvonne Kinney-Hockert
National Speaker, Business Consultant & Coach
Consulting Solutions, LLC.

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What Is Your Game Plan? Part II

As you learned in Part I, managers as coaches must observe carefully, offer clear and effective feedback, and take advantage of opportunities to coach their people into new situations. Coaching requires a shift in approach to the traditional role of manager. It goes beyond basic performance management responsibilities.

Here are some common pitfalls managers often encounter in their attempt to coach their team members, and strategies to avoid them:

Coaching when Convenient - You must be dedicated to the process of coaching. The first step is to take the time to identify those who would most benefit from coaching. Focus on who you want to spend time with to enhance and target specific skills, then create a schedule to ensure you connect regularly with that person. As with any effective approach to communication, be sure that your time and attention are fully focused on the experience. Set aside specific time, and limit external distractions like incoming phone calls and interruptions.

Assumptions, Assumptions, Assumptions - It's best if you take the time to really get to know your people, avoiding the tendency to fit people into general categories. Recognize them as individuals by learning about and understanding their personal and professional goals, motivations, history, and hopes for the future. This will serve to both increase the foundation of trust and give further insight into the most effective ways to coach the individual.

Standing in the Spotlight - Check your ego at the door. Resist the temptation to try and impress employees with your knowledge and past successes. Coaching should be about the person being coached - one sign of successful coaching is helping the person build their confidence and identify their own path to success.

Mouth Open, Ears Closed - Pay careful attention to the amount of time you are talking - focus on less telling, more listening! Give your team member time to fully express themselves. Avoid the desire to jump in with advice or answers. Instead, ask questions that help lead them to their own discoveries and help them identify their goals. Open-ended, challenging questions that provoke their thinking are especially helpful, such as "Is there another way to look at this?" or "How might you see this differently?"

Untimely Criticism - Simply put, praise in public, critique in private. Successful coaching is based on a strong foundation of mutual trust and respect. It is important for a manager to reinforce values and skills, actively looking for opportunities to give positive feedback and recognize a job well done.

Whether you are new to the concept of coaching, or already make it a key part of your toolkit as a manager, be sure to practice the positive responses to these common pitfalls. Coaching is a skill every manager can develop and excel at!

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